Knowing God

Though the Gospel is the "good news" of Jesus Christ, it first starts with some bad news. The bad news is that though God desires to have a relationship with us, that relationship has been eternally strained because of our continual sin against our Holy God.

Ephesians 2:1-3 says, “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts.“

Though sometimes we might think we are “good people” when we get down to it, we all constantly live contrary to Gods will; whether it’s the words that come out of our mouths, the thoughts and motives in our hearts or our daily actions, we all fall short of God’s standard of excellence. Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.“

Because of our sinful disobedience we stand condemned… condemned to a real place called Hell.

Romans 1:18 says, “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.” Because God is a just God, He is forced by His holy character to punish and keep the world accountable for its sin.

However, God’s love is so great for us that He provides a way to resolve the greatest problem that plagues our world. Rather than forcing us to pay for our sins, He sends His Son Jesus Christ to be our substitute punishment. 1 John 4:9-10 says, “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” Christ comes to earth and lives a perfectly sinless and righteous life; allowing Him to be our perfect sacrifice. Christ’s short time on Earth comes to a climax when He willingly goes to the Cross. It’s on the Cross that He takes on the sin of His people, experiencing excruciating physical pain, the result of sin for the first time and experiencing the wrath and separation from God. Christ does all of this so that our sin would be paid for and that we would have the opportunity to be reconciled with God. Colossians 1:22 says, “But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.”

There is nothing we can do to earn salvation. Ephesians 2:8-9, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” The only thing that unites us in an Earthly and Eternal relationship with God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit is by turning from our lifestyle of sin (repentance) and by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. Acts 20:21 says that we all “must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.” When we put our faith in Jesus Christ we are placing our faith in His identity as the Son of God and His great work on the Cross of shedding His blood for our sins and the sin-conquering act of His resurrection.

If you have never turned from your sin and placed your faith in Christ, there is no better time than now to make the greatest decision ever. There is nothing magical about becoming a Christian, all you have to do is:

Repent of Your Sin: Recognize that you are a sinner – someone that has disobeyed and ignored God and His standards. Renounce your old ways of living and commit yourself to living a life that is honoring to God.

Place Your Faith in Christ: Place your faith in the sinless life of Christ, His death on the cross as your deserved punishment, and His resurrection from the dead. As you place your faith in Christ you are trusting that there is nothing you can do to earn God‘s favor. It is only through the work of Christ that you will be declared righteous and forgiven. Placing your faith in Christ means you understand that it is only through the work of Christ that you are reconciled to God and promised eternal life.

Are you ready to make this decision? It‘s simple, yet monumental. You do it by talking to God, telling Him that you are repenting of your sin, putting your faith in Christ, and committing yourself to following Jesus whole-heartedly.

God, today I recognize that I have ignored You and sinned against You. I repent of my sin. I renounce my sin. Give me the strength to turn from my sin and to live a life that is fully honoring to You. Today, I place my faith not in myself, but in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I understand that it was upon the cross that my sin was punished by Your wrath and I rejoice in my Savior Jesus who was willing to be my sacrifice. I know I don‘t deserve it but I am forever grateful to what Christ has done to bring me to You. I praise You and love You. Amen.

If you made a decision to accept Christ and follow Him today, congratulations! We would love to hear from you to share in the joy of your decision and help you with the next steps in your faith journey!

If you haven’t made a decision, and would more information, or get answers to questions, please contact us.Either way, we would love to hear from you!